Work Christmas Party - I have a cold!

[LozzaCh0ps]

I don’t know if I’m overthinking this (I usually am) but I started getting cold symptoms yesterday, and today is our work Xmas do. The thing is I’ve worked there since the beginning of the year, but I’m one of only four who work from the office, so I haven’t really met anyone else yet. It’s also a leaving do for my supervisor, who has been made redundant. It feels like a bad thing to miss. The do is 5 hours long - a lunch catered by the boss. I’ve seen how much effort they’ve put into it! I really do feel like 100 shades of shite, and the idea of being in a stuffy room with 25 strangers for that long while trying to hold my lungs in is really hideous.

I don’t know what the expectation would be - I haven’t bedded in very well at the company and still feel completely new. I think partly because I’m part time, as well as just not fitting in very well in the existing dynamic. I don’t have any work friends who I can call and ask for their opinion. I really don’t want to seem like I’m just bunking it, but I also don’t want to be patient zero in a company-wide cold epidemic! I would be grateful for any opinions on this!

YABU - Go and spread your festive germs
YANBU - Call in sick

Depends how bad the cold is. If you can muddle through with a lemsip then I'd probably go just to get to know colleagues better. But if you are coughing and streaming then stay at home.

I would have started on the cold and flu capsules and been drinking honey and lemon etc. Are you in work, or could you go back to bed with a lemsip and see how you are in a couple of hours? I'd try to go.

Take some paracetamol and try to have a nice time.

Can you get someone to go out and get you a berroca or other super high vit c drink? Then have that, a lemsip, a bucket load of water and take paracetamol with you.

It’s the disgusting cough that I’m worried about, I sound disgusting!

Take something strong just fir the do. Sudofed? Dry it up for the day!

jakemans menthol sweets maybe? Don’t worry though coughs are rife this year !

You only get one chance to make a first impression. You feel like 100 shades of shite. You are not going to be your sparkling best.
Its unfortunate timing but you don’t sound well enough and you will be as popular as a fart in a space suit if you are blamed for spreading germs on the run up to Christmas.

It’s a tricky situation but you will seriously annoy some people by coming in streaming. I would send an email to a few key people saying you were really looking forward to it but you’re streaming with a horrible cough and whoever you sit next to will catch it - and it isn’t the type of Christmas gift anyone would want

I wouldn’t go. I went to a wedding with a bad cold recently and it didn’t go down well at all. I should have cancelled.

I don’t start work until 12.30 usually, but said I’d go in early to help set things up if needed. I think I’d be pissed off if someone turned up sounding like me though! Especially having to sit next to me for a meal 😬

I have got the Jakemans and the cold & flu tablets, but they’ve not make a vast difference to my general repulsiveness.

I can’t believe this timing!

Oh no! It’s really hard to know what to do eh. I managed to avoid covid until a wedding in November ‘23, I think they’re often a hot bed of lurgy because people don’t want to cancel!

I understand your dilemma, but I wouldn’t go. It wouldn’t go down well with me to be near someone who was clearly ill.

I wouldn’t want to sit with someone who clearly isn’t well and coughing, sorry it can’t be helped, I would cancel. If you had turned up where I worked, I would send you home.

If you were anywhere near me I wouldn't be impressed.
Stay home

Op, how would you feel if you were healthy, turned up to a Christmas party and discovered you were sitting near someone that was full of the cold?

How would you feel if a few days later, you ended up with the cold too?

Covonia for the cough. It's vile but it works.

That stuff really IS vile 😅

Stay at home. No one wants your streaming cold so close to Christmas.

Much appreciated everyone! I was very much leaning towards staying at home, just wanted to check with others. I think if it had been festive drinks in a pub with colleagues I know well I wouldn’t even have thought twice about staying at home!

I wouldn't be very happy if someone turned up obviously ill and then I got ill - it's better to miss this one I think!

Last year our company do was so close to Christmas half the office spent the whole Christmas break in bed with covid - including me. It was a miserable Christmas and it meant everyone was worn out when we came back from the break.

You'll make no friends if you turn up sneezing and coughing over everyone.

Stay at home, stay warm, rest and drink lots of fluid.

Stay home, for yourself and everyone else

Don't go, your cold could easily be flu or covid, even if it ends up being mild for you it could be dangerous for someone else that you give it to.

Don’t go. I wouldn’t want to be in the company of someone with a bad cough, it would put me off my meal.